February 26, 2008

The Next Mayor of Detroit?

posted by Josh Goodman

Should Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick resign as a result of the text messaging scandal, who would take over as mayor of Detroit? I didn't know until I looked it up: City Council President Ken Cockrel Jr.

As the legal quicksand surrounding Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick continues to get deeper, the spotlight on Detroit City Council President Ken Cockrel Jr. — viewed by many in the business community as a rational, calm consensus-builder — gets brighter.

...

Cockrel grew up surrounded by politics. His father was the late Kenneth Cockrel Sr., a former city councilman and civil rights activist, known for his rapid-fire oratory.

...

As City Council president, Cockrel is viewed as a voice of reason leading an elected group of people who often fight bitterly among themselves and with the mayor.

For now, it looks like Kilpatrick is sticking around, but he is up for reelection in 2009.